USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA claimed five of the eight medals, including both golds, at the Rome Foil Cadet European Cup this past weekend.

Karina Yaroshenko (Beverly Hills, Calif.) and Sabrina Cho (Hillsborough, Calif.) won gold and bronze, respectively, in the women’s competition while James Chen (New York City, N.Y.) took the top step of the podium in the men’s event and Chase Emmer (Morristown, N.J.) and Eric Yu (Encino, Calif.) each secured bronze.

Chen’s gold marks his second medal on the circuit this season and his first Cadet European Cup title.

Now currently No. 3 in the European Cadet Fencing rankings, Chen went 5-1 in pools to earn a bye to the table of 128, where he defeated Luca Delprato (ARG), 15-10.

After 15-7 victories over Andrea Alno (ITA) and teammate Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.), Chen cruised past top-seeded Damiano Di Veroli (ITA), 15-4.

Chen guaranteed a medal with a 15-12 win over Matteo Panazzolo (ITA) and earned the chance to fence for gold with a 15-9 victory over Emmer.

In the gold medal final, Chen edged out Tommaso Martini (ITA), who was fencing in front of a home crowd, by a score of 15-12.

Fourteen-year-old Emmer started his day perfect in pools, going 6-0 to take the No. 4 seed.

In the direct elimination rounds, he held his first four opponents to six points or less, besting Maxime Adam (FRA), 15-6; Matteo Morini (ITA), 15-5; Jacopo Fe (ITA), 15-6; and teammate Daniel Zhang (Belmont, Mass.), 15-6.

With a 15-12 victory over Paul-Antoine De Velval (FRA), Emmer clinched the bronze before losing to Chen in the semifinals.

Yu’s bronze is his second medal this season at a Cadet European Cup.

Yu went 4-2 in pools before overcoming Ethan Paz (AUS), 15-10. His table of 64 opponent withdrew and Yu advanced to the table of 16 with a 15-8 victory over Zachary Binder (Armonk, N.Y.)

A 15-11 victory over Gregorio Isolani (ITA) and a 15-10 win against Florent Baudchon (FRA) secured Yu a medal, but he couldn’t hold on against Martini in the semifinals, falling 15-7.

With just weeks until the Cadet World Championship Team is named, Chen moved up to No. 1 in the USA Fencing Cadet Men’s Foil Team Point Standings. James Liao (Basking Ridge, N.J.) ranks second and Yu jumped up into third, fewer than 30 points behind Liao. Emmer is now in fourth with Bryce Louie (Los Angeles, Calif.) in fifth.

In the women’s event, Yaroshenko made her first Cadet European Cup medal a gold.

She went 5-1 in pools before advancing to the table of 64 with a 15-9 victory over Alina Nistri (ITA).

After two 15-10 wins against teammate Catherine Flanagan (Pleasantville, N.Y.) and Arianna Proietti (ITA), Yaroshenko fenced teammates in three straight rounds. She edged out Justina Lam (Cherry Hill, N.J.), 15-11; Yejine Lee (Northvale, N.J.), 15-14; and Cho, 15-11 to clinch a place in the final.

Fencing for gold, Yaroshenko controlled the bout, taking a 15-7 victory over Teagan Williams-Stewart (GBR).

Cho, last year’s Cadet Pan American Champion, won her first Cadet European Cup medal.

Taking the No. 4 seed out of pools with a 6-0 record in pools, Cho held all five of her opponents to single digits to reach the semifinals.

In the first two rounds, she picked up quick 15-8 and 15-4 victories over Xenia Maul (GER) and Mayuri Muralidharan (AUS), respectively. She then followed up a 15-6 win over Celia Hohenadel (GER) with a 15-8 victory against Flaminia Zaccheo (ITA).

Facing Zander Rhodes (South Orange, N.J.), who currently ranks No. 3 in the Cadet European Fencing standings, in the quarter-finals for a medal, Cho continued to roll, winning 15-5.

Rhodes moved up to No. 2 in the USA Fencing Cadet Women’s Foil Team Point Standings with her top-eight finish, sitting behind 2018 Junior World bronze medalist Lauren Scruggs (Ozone Park, N.Y.) Maia Weintraub (Philadelphia, Pa.), who finished in the top 16 in Italy, is not far behind Rhodes in third, trailing by fewer than 50 points. Nicole Pustilnik (San Diego, Calif.) and Helen Tan (San Diego, Calif.), who also earned a top-16 result, sit in fourth and fifth.

Click here to view complete results.   

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Rome Men’s Individual Foil Cadet European Cup
1. James Chen (New York City, N.Y.)
2. Tommaso Martini (ITA)
3. Chase Emmer (Morristown, N.J.)
3. Eric Yu (Encino, Calif.)
5. Paul-Antoine De Belval (FRA)
6. Matteo Panazzolo (ITA)
7. Valerian Castanie (FRA)
8. Florent Baudchon (FRA)

11. Fyze Tulyag (Fresno, Calif.)
12. Edriss Ndiaye (Rockville, Md.)
13. Hyun Paik (Norwood, N.J.)
15. Daniel Zhang (Belmont, Mass.)
20. Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.)
22. Brandon Li (Acton, Mass.)
23. Kaveh Shafaie (Freehold, N.J.)
24. Anthony Bae (Northvale, N.J.)
25. James Liao (Basking Ridge, N.J.)
27. Zachary Binder (Armonk, N.Y.)
33. Draper Dayton (San Francisco, Calif.)
34. Clayton Reid (Pacifica, Calif.)
37. Justin Liu (Los Gatos, Calif.)
42. Bryce Louie (Los Angeles, Calif.)
56. David Tierney (Naples, Fla.)
59. Andrew Chung (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
89. Ilya Ayupov (Woodland Hills, Calif.)

Rome Women’s Individual Foil Cadet European Cup
1. Karina Yaroshenko (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
2. Teagan Williams-Stewart (GBR)
3. Sabrina Cho (Hillsborough, Calif.)
3. Venissia Thepaut (FRA)
5. Giulia Amore (ITA)
6. Benedetta Pantanetti (ITA)
7. Yejine Lee (Northvale, N.J.)
8. Zander Rhodes (South Orange, N.J.)

9. Helen Tan (San Diego, Calif.)
11. Maia Weintraub (Philadelphia, Pa.)
13. Justina Lam (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
16. Renata Chusid (Franklin Lakes, N.J.)
17. Maria Stamos (New York, N.Y.)
21. Annora Lee (New York, N.Y.)
23. Sara Martos (El Cerrito, Calif.)
27. Juliana Hung (San Francisco, Calif.)
30. Asherah Horsley (DuBois, Pa.)
41. Elisha Tan (San Diego, Calif.)
42. Alicia Hao (Acton, Mass.)
43. Anika Breker (Barrington, R.I.)
44. Catherine Flanagan (Pleasantville, N.Y.)
46. Haley Koo (Old Tappan, N.J.)
63. Anna Novoseltseva (Grand Rapids, Mich.)